The Pseudo Health Nut

Locavore's Lament

2009-10-10T23:52:00.000-07:00

I rarely eat at, or at least try to minimize my visits to, chain restaurants. Naturally when I was younger and didn't really understand how economics worked, I only cared about image. Why would I want to be seen in a small-name mom and pop eatery when everyone I knew ate at the flashy popular corporate conglomerates? I wouldn't, so I followed the mainstream crowds and stuck to the good old chains.

Then one day for some unexplained reason, I changed. I realized what I was doing to the economy. I realized what I was doing to the local businesses that worked so hard to compete, many times to little avail. I gave my business to the wrong people. Rather than supporting the people in my community who actually cared about what they put in their food, what they do to their food and where their food comes from, I was throwing my money at the feet of corporate America only to get in return low quality goods.

I can't speak for other communities, but in Portland, restaurant, cafe and bistro owners alike love their food. They give their customers options, healthy alternatives and choices for those of us with certain food preferences. And I'm nearly 100% sure that they don't do this completely for the profit, as I'm sure nearly 95% chain restaurants do.

We went out to eat at a large BBQ establishment this evening. I was less than enthusiastic to go as I'd earlier checked out the menu only to be disgusted and let down. As with most chains, the only meat-free options came in the form of a salad. Somehow, chains seem to think that if you don't eat meat, you only eat salad. Upon earlier discussion of what I could eat at the restaurant, nearly everyone I was with said, "Well I'm sure they have salad," as if that would make it better. Vegetarians don't eat strictly salad, and if they're like me, they don't even like salad all that much. I find it so disappointing when a restaurant is so out of touch with dietary preferences that the only alternative to meat they can find is lettuce. Not only that, probably 4 out of the 5 salads on the menu are topped with meat.

Either way, as I had no choice other than to go for a salad (because the restaurant didn't even have a veggie burger option), I forlornly munched on my lettuce as the rest of the party inhaled all sorts of chickens, cows and pigs from who knows where, not thinking twice about what was required to put that food on their plates and probably not caring (as most people in the United States don't). And I don't even want to go into the amazingly incredible amount of calories and fat that were in those meals...

Anyway, after mirthfully sucking down the prepackaged, frozen and shipped from the other side of the country entrees, we handed over the large sum of money to the greedy corporation. Upon exiting, I couldn't help but notice the establishment was packed. Completely packed. People sitting, standing, pacing, just waiting to sink their teeth into this mindless food. And it made me so sad.

I wish people thought more about what they ate. I wish they would think about where their money is going. I wish they would try to open a restaurant and see what it takes to survive when there are restaurants such as this everywhere stealing all of the profits. I wish they would have a passion for food, put their heart and soul into their meals, and then see how detrimental chains are. I can't believe how many people follow the crowd. I can't believe that the majority still eat at the flashy popular corporate conglomerates and never give the locals a chance. I guess I thought that when I learned the importance of supporting one's community, everyone did.

But I still have hope. There are hundreds of amazing restaurants in Portland that are locally owned and operated, get their ingredients from local sources and offer their customers amazingly diverse choices. Looking for a barbeque tofu po'boy? Tempeh, lettuce & tomato (a vegetarian's BLT)? Grilled zucchini ciabata sandwich? Smoothie with hemp milk? Organic anything? You'll find it in Portland. I know these places are surviving, I know they have many faithful customers, and that truly makes me happy. But even if they remain small and have fewer customers than the chains, I will rest easy. I will know that while others are waiting endlessly to get a coveted booth at Red Robin only to eat mediocre food at a premium price, I'll be happy and comfy at my friendly neighborhood diner, supporting the deserving locals and getting only the best in return.

Summuh Time

2009-02-23T21:26:00.000-08:00

Hummus. Talk about an amazing culinary invention. And for some reason my palate never tasted it until maybe a year or so ago, which is weird in itself because I'd never been adverse to garbanzo beans. I guess the idea of pureed legumes never appealed to me, nor did the pale suspicious-looking paste itself. But since I tried it, I haven't been able to stop eating it.

I much prefer the new-age Mediterranean hummuses to the more classic Middle Eastern varieties, but both definitely beat almost every other dip out on the market. Restaurants such as Greek Cuisina and Nicolas have the traditional hummus that is especially tasty in a falafel sandwich or for use as a dip for pita, while Trader Joe's and Blossoming Lotus have kicked up the traditional recipe with delicious additions and substitutions.

I prefer to stock up on TJ's varieties, some that don't even contain garbanzos but rather white beans, yet still have that certain something to qualify as hummus. Go figure. I got a white bean and basil hummus that was overwhelmingly basily, but was the perfect dip for carrots. The original hummus dip has an extraordinary garlicky flavor, the jalapeno cilantro is an excellent Mexican twist on the original, and the Mediterranean style with pine nuts and olive oil is extremely delicious with the middle eastern flatbread. I could definitely live off of it.

Then there's BL's live cashew hummus, a tasty concoction that contains all raw ingredients and really hits the spot. Have it in the live wrap with tomatoes, cucumbers, sprouts and avocado and you've pretty much gone to health-food heaven.

Vegan Food = Real Food

2009-01-07T18:23:00.000-08:00

I know I've at least thought it before, if not said it: vegan food is normal food. No matter how many times you say it, some people never accept or believe it. I know I used to hear "vegan" and I'd curl my lip at the word. I'd think of fake meat, bland and just plain not normal foods. I used to fall victim to the evil fast food society that has become the norm for those of us in the US. Talk about ironic; the vast majority of food we eat here IS that not normal food. Highly processed, overly flavored, molded and shaped into unnatural forms: the menu of a regular US American consumer.

So why isn't vegan, or even just vegetarian, or even just natural and whole food, eating more common? I don't know how many times I've talked to someone who is eating his or her McDonald's hamburger and agreeing with me that it's hardly real food. That has to be one of my biggest pet peeves. If you are consciously eating crap, why do you continue to eat it? Don't act like you know it's bad for you and commiserate with me about its terrible quality if it's not going to change anything. Don't say "Oh yeah, I know this is disgusting, but I just don't care." And especially don't criticize me for eating meals that don't contain meat or cheese because "that's just not normal."

I'm getting off track. I didn't write this to complain; I wrote it to plug a new book I got: Veganomicon.

This cookbook is, from what I can tell so far, a great collection of recipes and an outstandingly feel-good piece of healthy cooking literature. Written by two brazen New Yorkers, Veganomicon is fantastic for both seasoned chefs and those just starting out. The nearly 300 pages detail everything from how to cook practically any vegetable, to how to prepare an entree that'll take you 1.5 hours to make, to how to put together a 5-course meal using a variety of their seemingly delicious self-concocted recipes. From Mexican to Asian to Southern home-style cooking, the recipes are all void of animal products but don't skimp in the flavor, aroma or texture departments.

I don't expect everyone to turn to veganism; I know I can't do it just yet. I don't even expect everyone to become vegetarians. I just want people to think about what they eat. The Veganomicon may be extreme for many people, but its ideas and purpose are good: eat meals with tons of flavor (not the kind you get from MSG please), tons of nutritious veggies and grains, and try to make your own food as often as possible. Sometimes (usually) it's the last thing you want to do when you get home from work in the evening, but I really believe it will make you feel much better.

The End.

Lotus Position

2008-10-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

If I could, I would eat at The Blossoming Lotus every day for every meal. And I could if I had an endless supply of money and time and gasoline. BL has been a favorite restaurant of mine for several months but you'd never know it because I rarely make it out there.

Friends of mine aren't very into eating raw and live food. At all. Something about fresh veggies and natural ingredients scares them off. Vegan = disgusting. Vegetarian = lame.

I'm not sure how these associates came to be, seeing as how we should be afraid of artificial ingredients and processed foods, but they're there and it's incredibly hard (and frustrating to try) to change people's views.

I absolutely love the Live Wrap at BL. It's got a cilantro lime paté, tomatoes, cucumbers, sprouts, avocado and cashew sour creme rolled up in collard greens. It's essentially like any other wrap except the flavors are intense & refreshing and there are about 200 fewer calories since it's wrapped in vegetable leaves rather than a flour tortilla. Nothing frustrates me more than someone who sticks up their nose at the wrap because it is rolled up in a green leafy vegetable. But I get frustrated easily...

There are so many great things to try there and something for everyone's diet: gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian. (Sorry if you eat meat, but we in the United States need to learn that a meal in fact doesn't need animal protein to be complete.)

You can get a smoothie made with soy milk, rice milk or hemp milk; you can get vegan soft serve or DELICIOUS live fudge (outstanding with a hint of coconut); they use whole grains, fresh produce and definitely make you feel better about yourself for what you've just put into your body. You really can't go wrong there.

Writing this makes me want to go back soon; it's been way too long.

You go too.

Yaourt

2008-10-24T22:18:00.000-07:00

I really like yogurt. For a while I ate yogurt every day. I had grown up on Yoplait low fat yogurt and for years never branched out. I had no reason to. Until I learned about saturated fat. Sat fat became my enemy and still to this day I try my best to avoid it whenever I can. That meant saying goodbye to my yogurt, at least momentarily. I wasn't completely put off so I found and moved on to Yoplait's nonfat yogurt. It wasn't the same taste or texture, but it gave me my calcium and satiated my occasional yogurt craving. I was good again with yogurt. Until I learned about aspartame. Aspartame became my enemy and still to this day I try my best to avoid it whenever I can...

I gave up on yogurt for a while. It was just too much for a health nut like myself: if it's full flavor it's high in sat fat; non-fat and it's full of artificiality. Obviously a lose-lose situation. Or it was until I found Wallaby Organic nonfat yogurt. This stuff is great: nonfat ergo sat fat-free; organic ergo aspartame-free; delicious ergo win-win-win.

Just look at these amazing ingredients:Organic Cultured Pasteurized Nonfat Milk, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Pineapple Concentrate, Organic Pineapple Flavor, Organic Coconut Extract, Organic Creamed Coconut, Pectin, Organic Locust Bean Gum

No sugar, no artificial flavors, just simple plain yummy yogurt goodness.

Now after having discovered this yogurt, it makes me wonder why I ever liked Yoplait to begin with. My old favorite strawberry yogurt has this charming list of ingredients: Cultured Pasteurized Grade A Lowfat Fat Milk, Sugar, Strawberries, Modified Cornstarch, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Nonfat Milk, Kosher Gelatin, Citric Acid, Tricalcium Phosphate, Natural Flavor, Pectin, Colored With Carmine, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3.

Sugar and HFCS? That seems a bit like overkill, but whatever.

If you like yogurt, go buy Wallaby. There's really no reason not to. They have amazing flavors (pineapple coconut, mango lime, strawberry guava, peach, Bartlett pear) and they come with that adorable little marsupial on the packaging.

Pretty Soon I'm Going To Eat Alone

2008-10-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

Today while eating lunch, I got slapped in the face. All of a sudden it just hit me. And it made me feel ill.

Out of the 20-some-odd people I work with, I am the only one who refuses to eat fast food. Out of all of us, I appear to be the only one who has any kind of self respect or self control. I mean that strictly on a "I care about what I put into my body" basis, but I'd say that is a pretty important basis. Pretty much the only one that counts.

Every day in the lunch room, I'm surrounded by seemingly intelligent, amicable people. We engage in somewhat interesting conversation, gossip about the goings on at work and, ultimately, discuss our food choices of the day. While I don't really enjoy any of the conversation all that much, the food talk is hands down the worst. It's me against the rest in a verbal food fight about what junk food is the worst and who's eating the best example of the unhealthiest (aka best) lunch. Is it the 7-11 foot-long sandwiches (hey, they're not hamburgers), the Jack In The Box breakfast biscuit (come on, it's breakfast, the most important meal of the day), or perhaps the Wendy's chicken nugget meal (at least it's not McDonald's, PLUS it's chicken!)? Oh the warped and misguided perceptions United States citizens have these days...

Sure it's not a hamburger, but that pre-packaged processed meat and bleached enriched white bread probably has the same caloric intake as one. And you're right, it's breakfast, but it's only an important meal when it's not deep fat fried sausage, eggs & bacon and, sadly, it must be eaten in the morning. And, oh so close but, alas, Wendy's and McDonald's are really no different when it comes to beating the other's nutritional values. They both ship their frozen delicacies by the ton all across the US, fry them up in oil and salt, and sell them to the same customers. As for the misperception of chicken being healthier? Sorry again but it's been found to be more nutritionally devoid than the burgers.

At least you have the option of getting a large Diet Coke rather than a regular one. At Wendy's that could save you 270 calories. At McDonald's, 310. (But don't get me started on the artificial sweeteners loaded into diet drinks)

Still, for a million other reasons, truthfully, thank goodness they're not eating McDonald's this time.

Oases in A Desert of Exhaustion

2008-10-19T18:11:00.000-07:00

Two of my favorite names these days are Amy and Annie. No, I don't think they're especially cute or have a particularly nice ring to them, rather, they're at the top of my list because of their delicious and wholesome nature. I find Amy when I want a satisfying lunch or dinner, then scout out Annie for some healthy snacks.

I'm referring of course to Amy's brand natural and organic foods and Annie's brand, well, natural and organic foods. I know the jury is still out on the whole organic food debate, and for the most part I am too, but what I love about Amy especially is the fact that every ingredient in her meals is an actual food. It's such a simple concept that you'd think would be in everything on the grocery store shelves but, alas, no. Either way, here's a peek at the ingredient list of one of my favorite Amy foods (the Black Bean Vegetable Enchilada):

INGREDIENTS: (VEGAN) FILTERED WATER, ORGANIC CORN TORTILLAS (ORGANIC WHITE CORN COOKED IN WATER WITH A TRACE OF LIME), ORGANIC TOMATO PUREE, ORGANIC ZUCCHINI, ORGANIC TOFU (FILTERED WATER, ORGANIC SOYBEANS, NIGARI[MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE, A NATURAL FIRMING AGENT]), ORGANIC BLACK BEANS, ORGANIC YELLOW CORN, ORGANIC ONIONS, EXPELLER PRESSED HIGH OLEIC SAFFLOWER OIL, ORGANIC SWEET RICE FLOUR, ORGANIC BELL PEPPERS, SPICES, TAPIOCA FLOUR, BLACK OLIVES, SEA SALT, ORGANIC GARLIC, ORGANIC GREEN CHILES.

Apart from nigari, everything else is refreshingly simple, readable and familiar. It just makes me happy to know that I can eat something like a frozen, packaged black bean enchilada and not be put off by the fact that I don't know what half of the ingredients are. In fact, if I wanted to, I'm pretty sure I could make that at home. And the best part? And this really is the best part: the ingredient lists are like that in everything Amy puts out. Everything. From Asian dishes to pizzas; burritos to burgers. Amy is a bit more expensive than your Smart Ones or Lean Cuisines, but the flavor and quality totally make up for it.

And speaking of Lean Cuisine, talk about an edge over the competition: LC's Chicken Enchilada Suiza with Rice meal has just 270 calories and 4 grams of fat, compared to Amy's respective 360 and 12, but let's take a look at the comp's ingredients:

blanched enriched long grain rice (rice, ferric phosphate, niacin, thiamin mononitrate and folic acid), chicken enchilada (corn tortilla (corn masa {corn flour, cellulose gum, mono- and diglycerides, trace of lime}, water), cooked chicken meat (chicken, carrageenan), tomatoes (tomatoes, tomato juice, salt, calcium chloride, citric acid), onions, water, green chiles (green chiles, citric acid, salt, calcium chloride), modified cornstarch, garlic powder, jalapeno peppers (jalapeno peppers, water, salt, acetic acid, calcium chloride), paprika, spices, salt, cilantro), water, tomatillos, onions, skim milk, corn, red peppers, cheddar cheese (cultured milk, salt, enzymes, annatto color), green chiles and citric acid, buttermilk powder, modified cornstarch, garlic puree, dehydrated sour cream (sour cream (cultured cream, nonfat milk)), cilantro, salt, cultured whey, spices, soybean oil, jalapeno puree (jalapeno peppers, salt, acetic acid and calcium chloride), yeast extract, sugar, chicken fat, bleached wheat flour, lime juice concentrate, dehydrated onions, seasoning (wheat starch, extracts of annatto and turmeric color, natural flavor).

Wow, did you read through all of that? Kind of extensive. And I can't make that at home. Dehydrated sour cream? Natural flavor? Natural flavor of what? There goes my recipe. Lame.

My key points: lots of chlorides, concentrates & extracts and something I always forget to add to my cooked chicken meat: carrageenan. So it's a tough choice, seriously. Do you go for the lo-cal, hard to read, cheap enchilada or the regular-cal natural pricier enchilada? I prefer to opt for the latter, but the majority choose the former.

Alright now I'm getting depressed, so on to snack crackers!

Annie's Homegrown products are pretty much as good and delicious as Amy's. She boasts a hippie website and seems to cater mostly to kids, but I can dig that. Her Cheddar Bunnies and Bunny Grahams are favorite snacks of mine and, once again, natural and easy to read ingredients can be found on the boxes:

Made with only the best ingredients: ORGANIC WHEAT FLOUR, EXPELLER PRESSED VEGETABLE OIL (SAFFLOWER AND/OR SUNFLOWER), SALT, AGED CHEDDAR CHEESE (PASTEURIZED MILK,

CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES), YEAST EXTRACT, PAPRIKA, ANNATTO EXTRACT FOR NATURAL COLOR, GROUND CELERY SEED, ONION POWDER, YEAST.

It's such a nice change from eating Nabisco Cheese Nips whose ingredient list is:

Ingredients: ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), SOYBEAN OIL, CHEDDAR CHEESE (MADE FROM CULTURED MILK, SALT AND ENZYMES), PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED OIL, SALT, AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA AND/OR YEAST), MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE (FLAVOR ENHANCER), ANNATTO EXTRACT (VEGETABLE COLOR), PAPRIKA, SODIUM CASEINATE, LACTIC AND ACETIC ACIDS, SPICES, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, SOY LECITHIN (EMULSIFIER), CORNSTARCH.

Apart from having twice as many ingredients, Cheese Nips boast partially hydrogenated oil, MSG, sodium caseinate (?) and enriched flour. You can come to your own conclusions.

I've said it before and I know I'll say it many more times to come (with an audible sigh): I wish people cared more about what they ate.

Nicholas Restaurant

2008-10-16T17:37:00.000-07:00

For months I'd been reading reviews of a tiny hole-in-the-wall family-owned Lebanese restaurant that is simply outstanding. My boyfriend and I finally ventured to the spot and it was, as to be expected, really great. When they say Nicholas Restaurant is small, they mean small; 6 two-person tables to the right of the entrance, probably the same amount to the left. I was scared there would be a long wait but we managed to beat the crowd and were promptly seated. Middle Eastern decor, music and staff greeted us at once and made me feel like I was on a little tiny vacation of sorts.

It took forever to try to choose between a hummus appetizer, lentil soup, grapeleaves, mezza, a sandwich and kababs but finally we settled on a falafel meal and a beef kafka sandwich. My meal came with an appetizer of pita & hummus and a Lebanese salad and wow, get some pita and hummus if you go. The pita comes straight out of the oven (or however it's prepared) and it is humongous. Parties of more than two received a pita that had to be 20 inches in diameter. It was great. The hummus was authentic and mild and with the sweetness of the pita, tasted just about perfect. We practically got full off of just the pita and hummus but when our sandwiches came we managed to make room. The tahziki sauce was probably the best I've had anywhere and, once again, the bread was just sweet enough, just soft enough, and just perfect enough. Plus, since we'd gotten so stuffed on the appetizer, we got to take home the second halves of our sandwiches and enjoy them all over again the next day. I would have loved to have tried some Lebanese desserts, their fresh peach juice or their strawberry yogurt drink, but I decided to stick to the basics and work on getting out there again to try one of the many other menu items I had to pass up.

This food was so good and, more importantly, it made me feel good. I love eating at local restaurants, especially this type that is family-owned and makes real, good food. The thing I hate most about chain restaurants is the fact that food has to be perfected beyond normality so that it tastes the same whether you get it in Atlanta, Denver or Portland; there's no flair that goes into it, no love from the chef who unthaws the same thing every day, measures out the exact amount of prepackaged mystery mix every serving and has little pride in what they serve. I look for quality over quantity. I look for locality and exclusivity over frozen meals shipped across the country. You support your community, it grows and thrives. You support big industry, it monopolizes.

You obviously make the choice for yourself, but I prefer to keep my money in my community and help the little people realize their dream of sharing what they love with their friends and neighbors.

The Sheltered Life

2008-10-14T21:52:00.000-07:00

I guess I can't say my food-filled life has been one of complete shelteredness, and perhaps I never fully realized the extent to which my health conscious lifestyle has guided my decisions, but seriously, it never ceases to amaze me at how utterly terribly my fellow peers and elders eat. No one is perfect in their diet but I expect more from from people today. I never realized how well commercials work, how convincing and tempting a $1 burger can be, nor how little people care about what they put into their bodies.

I see a fast food commercial and think "No one who looks like these athletes and superstars actually eats this kind of food; and who would anyway after hearing how terrible it is for you anyway? People must know better, right?"

Wrong. Oh so wrong.

Turns out convenience and price heavily beat out nutritional value and, for that matter, self respect. Turns out Lean Cuisine eaters really think they're eating healthfully simply because the word "lean" is on the packaging. The same can be said of those nutritionally rich Lean Pockets. And what's more, they're 2 for $2! Talk about a steal. Who cares if the cheese is gummy from additives that lessen the fat? So what if the pepperoni is enhanced with sodium nitrate, BHA, BHT and lactic acid starter culture? And who DOESN'T add their own Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate and artificial colors to their home-cooked meals? At least it's got fewer calories.

I'm trying to say I'm pretty sickened by our culture and our loss of respect for what we put into our one and only body. I know financially we're a little tight, but what else is more important than what nourishes our body? What are we pinching those pennies for that trumps feeling energized and satisfied after a meal rather than bloated and sluggish? I believe that if we were meant to eat preservatives and food colorings and flavor enhancers, we would see them individually for sale all over the grocery shelves and we would be watching TV chefs adding a dash of disodium guanylate, xanthan gum or cochineal extract to their gourmet dishes. Fortunately this hasn't happened yet. Sadly, I doubt it would faze the majority of the population if it did.

So what's my solution? I vote for eating like we did before all of these restaurants and packaged foods came to be; eating ingredients that were developed in the soil and grew to be beautiful, natural gems for us to consume. I'd even advocate for eating some meat in moderation (though I'd likely recommend Alaskan salmon above anything else with eyes). It's hard and it's a change, but what in life isn't? So many Americans are so lazy with their food and it really makes me sad. Not to mention frustrated, obviously. So here you will find my personal opinions, reviews and picks & pans of the food I encounter. I'm too tired to write anymore right now, but look forward to locally-owned Portland restaurant reviews, Amy's meals reviews, Annie's products, Whole Foods Market, New Seasons Market and a plethora more.